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6 Ways to Maximize Storage Space in Your Kitchen

If there’s one thing that nearly all homeowners can agree on, it’s that there’s never enough storage space in your kitchen. After all, today’s kitchens often need much more space for all the electronic gadgets and appliances that weren’t available in generations before. (Hello, electronic rice makers and stand mixers!) But designers and contractors don’t seem to have gotten that memo. As a result, many homeowners face constant frustration with the lack of space in their kitchens.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to get the additional storage space you need. Start by trying these six ways to maximize storage space in your kitchen.

1. Remove Unnecessary Items

The first way to maximize storage space in your kitchen is by removing unnecessary items. That’s because kitchens often become a catch-all for whatever we need to set down. From school papers to mail and files, it all seems to end up in the kitchen. So if your kitchen is feeling cluttered, go through and remove anything that doesn’t truly belong there. That way, you have more space for the things that do.

2. Find Another Place for Seasonal Items

If you have holiday-themed cookie cutters, platters, cookbooks, or other seasonal items, it doesn’t make sense to store them in your kitchen all year long. Instead, keep your valuable kitchen storage space for regularly used items. Anything seasonal is better off stored with your holiday decorations and only brought into your kitchen for the time period you are actually using it.

3. Utilize Your Wall Space

Often, kitchens have large areas of empty wall space. And that translates to a wasted opportunity. Just imagine if all that empty wall space could be turned into storage space instead. Fortunately, it can! And one of the best ways to do that is by installing custom kitchen cabinets. That’s because custom kitchen cabinets are built to fit your room, so you get usable storage space from floor to ceiling. And there’s no better way to maximize storage space in your kitchen.

4. Add Organizers

Add organizers to your kitchen to instantly create more storage space. Drawer inserts, lazy Susans, spice racks, and wine racks all help you store more items without making a jumbled mess in your cabinets or on your counters. Choose knife racks, lid organizers, and racks for pots and pans to store awkward items. And don’t forget about corner and base cabinet organizers! They’re perfect for corralling the inevitable mess of plastic containers and lids that too frequently take over cabinets. And they’re great for storing large appliances, too!

5. Get a Kitchen Island

A custom kitchen island is one of the best purchases you can make for your kitchen. After all, a new kitchen island instantly gives you more counterspace and storage space. Plus, today’s kitchen islands often include cooktops or home bars, so it’s easy to make them into exactly what you need for your kitchen. And because they’re customizable, all the storage and organization options available for cabinets are also available for kitchen islands. Wine racks? Spice racks? Drawer inserts for all your utensils? Done, done, and done.

6. Use Pull-Outs and Pull-Downs

Are you tired of seeing unsightly trash cans and recycling bins in your kitchen? Or is it hard to move around in your limited space because of them? Then, use pull-outs and pull-downs to discretely store your garbage and recycling out of sight. Pull-outs are also excellent for making better use of large or awkwardly shaped cabinets. That’s because they allow you to pull items forward instead of reaching (or climbing!) into the back of your cabinet and fishing around for what you need.

Your kitchen is the heart of your home, so it should feel warm, welcoming, and inviting. But it’s hard to feel a sense of peace when there’s clutter all over your countertops and table. Fortunately, gaining storage space in your kitchen is easier than you might think. Just try the above six ways to maximize storage space in your kitchen. And when you’re ready for some professional help, let us know! We’d love to help you design your dream kitchen and maximize your storage space!

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Explore These 10 Creative Ways to Brighten Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in your home. So it should be a welcoming place you enjoy spending time in. But too often, kitchens are dull, dim, and drab. Fortunately, it’s easy to bring in a little light. Explore these 10 creative ways to brighten your kitchen.

1. Include a Mirror

One of the easiest ways to brighten your kitchen is to include a mirror. Mirrors reflect light, so strategically placing one near a window instantly brightens your kitchen. Plus, it gives the illusion of a larger space, too. Just remember to choose a stylish mirror that goes well with your kitchen’s decor.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The more natural light you can let into your kitchen, the better. So take advantage of all the windows and skylights you have. If possible, leave windows bare to enjoy maximum light exposure. But if you aren’t comfortable with bare windows, open your curtains or blinds as often as possible to let the light in.

3. Install Pendant Lights

If your kitchen seems too dim, there’s an easy fix. Install pendant lights. These low-hanging lights are the perfect way to brighten your kitchen. Since they are physically closer to you than recessed or overhead lighting, they give your kitchen the appearance of being brighter.

4. Change Your Lightbulbs

One simple way to brighten your kitchen is to change your lightbulbs. It’s important to be sure you use the right bulbs for your fixtures. That’s because exceeding the allowable wattage is dangerous. However, changing your lightbulbs to the maximum wattage your fixtures accommodate quickly brightens your kitchen.

5. Light the Space Under Your Cabinets

All too often, homeowners overlook the space under their cabinets. But lighting up that space instantly brightens your kitchen. And that’s especially true if your countertops and appliances are reflective. So purchase some under-cabinet lights. Or opt for custom kitchen cabinets with built-in lighting. You’ll love the difference it makes!

6. Get a New Backsplash

Your backsplash has a bigger effect on your kitchen’s appearance than you may think. A dark backsplash adds to the dim effect in your kitchen, while a light or colorful backsplash brightens it. Alternatively, choose a metallic backsplash that reflects light to brighten your kitchen even more. Silver is an excellent choice.

7. Add Some Color

A few pops of color can work wonders to brighten your kitchen. And best of all, you can be as creative as you like! Set out a few colorful canisters, choose bright light fixtures, or place lovely flowers in a brightly colored vase. Even a fruit bowl filled with a variety of fruits can add much-needed color to your kitchen.

8. Give a Nod to Nature

Adding natural elements to your kitchen is a simple, yet beautiful way to brighten the room. Place a few potted plants in the corners, add light wooden or wicker accents, and make use of glass vases that reflect the light. Other natural elements like stones, seashells, and water features also brighten your kitchen if they fit in with your decor.

9. Bring in a Bright Kitchen Island

Sometimes, all your kitchen needs to brighten it is a bold statement piece. And what better way is there to brighten your kitchen than by adding a bold new custom kitchen island? When you opt for a custom kitchen island, you get to choose the exact color you want. And with tons of available add-ons and accessories, you get the bonus of having additional storage and workspace in your kitchen. In fact, your new kitchen island might just become your favorite part of the kitchen!

10. Go Lighter

As beautiful as dark cabinets are, they don’t always work when you want a super bright, airy kitchen. So consider swapping out your old cabinets for lighter ones. Choose painted cabinets in light colors, like white or pastels. Or opt for light-colored woods like pine, maple, or ash instead.

Would you like to brighten your kitchen with custom kitchen cabinets or a custom kitchen island? We can help! Contact us today to share your ideas. Let’s make your bright dream kitchen a reality!

 

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Tired of Household Clutter? 6 Cabinet Features That Can Solve It

Clutter doesn’t just look bad. It also has a significant effect on our well-being. As a matter of fact, too much clutter is linked to stress, anxiety, insomnia, and distraction. Conversely, clean, organized spaces give us a sense of calm. So what can you do if you’re tired of household clutter? Here are six cabinet features that can solve your clutter problem.

1. Pull-Outs and Pull-Downs

Longing for wide-open spaces? Then, consider adding pull-outs and pull-downs to your cabinets. They’re excellent for clearing floor space. That means you can finally say goodbye to trash cans, recycling bins, and laundry hampers cluttering your floor. With pull-outs and pull-downs, everything is stowed neatly out of sight. Consider adding them to your kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, walk-in closet, and any other room that could use some out-of-sight storage.

2. Lazy Susans

Lazy Susans are perfect if you find yourself constantly searching through your cabinets or needing to move stacks of items. That’s because they organize your clutter, all while keeping everything you need accessible. For example, add lazy Susans to your kitchen to store spices and oils. Or incorporate them into your closet to organize your belts and ties. You can even create rotating hanging systems to make your wardrobe more accessible. Just imagine the possibilities!

3. Drawer Inserts

At times, many of us are guilty of shoving our clutter into drawers. But the problem with that is, you only have so much space. Consequently, when your drawers aren’t organized, they wind up filled with a jumble of items that may even interfere with the drawer opening and closing. Thankfully, drawer inserts easily solve this problem. Moreover, they’re useful for every drawer, whether you need to organize silverware in your kitchen, washcloths in your bathroom, office supplies in your desk, or socks in your bedroom. No more rummaging through drawers, trying to find the one item you need. Drawer inserts keep everything organized, accessible, and, perhaps most importantly, visible.

4. Accessory Storage

Today’s homes are filled with accessories. You probably have small items like hair dryers, electric razors, game controllers, remotes, makeup, and jewelry throughout your house. These small, often oddly-shaped items are difficult to stack neatly in cabinets, so they’re frequently left on countertops and furniture instead. Fortunately, custom cabinets are made with accessory storage in mind, and they’re personalized to your own unique needs. So whether your nail polish collection is taking over your vanity, you constantly find remotes and controllers stuffed down the sides of your furniture, or you’ve accumulated an inordinate number of small specialty kitchen appliances, custom accessory storage areas accommodate it all.

5. Custom Sizes

If you live with stock cabinets, small closets, and an entertainment center from a big box store, it’s no wonder you have problems with clutter. Cabinets sold as one-size-fits-all solutions are anything but. Thankfully, custom cabinets open up a whole new world of possibilities. Have a multitude of oddly-shaped kitchen appliances? Build cabinets to accommodate them. Share a closet with someone a foot shorter than you? Custom-sized hanging areas make the most of your space. Own an extra large television? Display that beauty on a custom size entertainment center! Instead of trying to force your possessions into your existing cabinets, take advantage of custom sizes to make your cabinets fit your needs.

6. Racks

Racks allow you to both organize and display your items (if you choose). So get your spices off the counter with a spice rack. Store toilet paper in a behind-the-door storage rack. Tackle that pile of shoes in your closet with a built-in shoe rack. Or display your favorate vintages on a wine rack in your home bar. Indeed, racks are a useful feature to add to cabinets in almost any room. And since they hold a ton, they’re one of the best ways to clear up your clutter.

Are you ready to rid your home of clutter? Contact us to discuss your needs. We’re happy to talk to you about the storage solutions we offer and help you decide on the cabinet features that work best for you.

 

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Pantry Organization Tips

A well-stocked pantry is a beautiful thing. But if your pantry isn’t organized, it can be a source of frustration. When you can’t clearly see what you already have in your pantry, you’re more likely to purchase duplicate items. Or worse, you may forget about items in the back of shelves or at the bottom of stacks until they’re too old to eat. No one likes food waste. Fortunately, we’re here with pantry organization tips that will help you get the chaos in your pantry back under control.

Take Stock

If it’s been a while since you organized your pantry, the first thing you need to do is take stock of what you have. This also gives you a chance to pull everything out of your pantry and give it a thorough cleaning so you’ll have a clean slate when you begin putting items back inside.

Toss out anything that’s expired, and give away duplicates. After all, are you really going to use eight containers of rosemary before they go bad? Once you’ve gotten rid of what you can’t or won’t eat, you’ll have an idea of the type of storage you need to organize what’s left.

Use Clear Containers

Keeping your pantry organized is all about seeing what you have and being able to access it when you need it. That’s why clear containers are so helpful.

Instead of jumbles of boxes and bags, you have neatly organized containers that clearly show their contents. Clear bins, boxes, and jars are all excellent for this purpose. Wire baskets are a great choice, too, particularly for bulkier items like squash and onions.

Label

If you’re trying to improve your baking game and have six different types of flour in the pantry, will you know what’s what if you decide to put them neatly into clear storage containers? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean you need to settle for stacking bags again.

Instead, just take the time to label everything. We suggest including dates, too.  That way, you can toss ingredients that are too old, instead of figuring it out the hard way when your spaghetti Bolognese tastes rancid.

Invest in Organizers

If you’re still trying to stack everything on shelves, it’s time to embrace the world of kitchen cabinet organizers. You don’t need to deal with stacks of food that fall all over the floor every time you need to reach something in the back any longer.

Solutions like lazy Susans, spice racks, and cabinet organizers open up a whole new world of possibilities. Just imagine having all your bottles of oil stored neatly on a lazy Susan, your spices all organized and within reach, and all those annoying food storage lids neatly confined within a cabinet organizer, at last. Perfection.

Give a Method to the Madness

A well-organized pantry takes some thought. Don’t just try to group items by size. Instead, create designated areas for what you’re storing. Place all your pasta together in one area and all your baking supplies in another, for example. That way, you know exactly where to look for what you need, and your family members have an easier time helping to put groceries away, too.

It’s worth remembering that grocery stores put candy at children’s eye-level for a reason. We want what we see. So if you have foods that need to be eaten soon, or you’re trying to get your kids to choose healthier snacks, try strategically placing them at eye level. They’re more likely to be used than if they’re stuck somewhere on an upper shelf.

Customize

There’s no better way to organize your pantry than with customized solutions made just for you. A custom-built pantry accommodates your personal needs, instead of a cookie-cutter approach that leaves you constantly having to adapt.

With a custom-designed pantry from Edgewood Cabinetry, you can make use of every inch of available space. Take advantage of custom-sized shelves, cabinets, racks, organizers, and more to give you the pantry of your dreams.

Interested in installing a custom pantry in your home? Contact us here to get started.

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Declutter With Our 5 Favorite Storage Solutions

Having a cluttered home is associated with a whole host of negative impacts, including anxiety, depression, illness, insomnia, and even overeating.  Conversely, having an organized, clutter-free space gives us a sense of calm and well-being. So choosing to de-clutter your home is likely to bring you more benefits than just looking nice.

Need some suggestions to get started? Here are our five favorite storage solutions to help you de-clutter.

1. Kitchen Island

Kitchens tend to attract a lot of clutter because of all our specialized appliances, utensils, pots, spices, and more. And when clutter accumulates on your counters, you lose needed working space. That’s why we love kitchen islands. Not only will you gain storage space, but you’ll gain additional counter space, too.

So whether you want to add a breakfast nook, need additional space for pots and pans, or could use an extra countertop to practice mise en place, a kitchen island is the perfect solution. Plus, when you opt for a custom kitchen island from Edgewood Cabinetry, you can organize even more with accessories like lazy Susans, drawer inserts, spice racks, and on-door storage racks.

2. Vanity

Bathrooms too often lack adequate storage space for all your supplies and appliances, which leads to surfaces overflowing with clutter. A new bathroom vanity can solve your storage problems.

Moreover, because custom build to fit your space, you can add more storage to your bathroom than you ever thought possible. Custom options like small appliance storage, makeup organizers, slide-out laundry bins, and custom-size drawers help you have a place for everything, and everything in its place.

3. Locker-Style Cabinets

Mudrooms may be the messiest rooms in our homes.  Shoes, umbrellas, coats, and backpacks threaten to take over. Fortunately, it is possible to bring order to the chaos. And one of our favorite ways to do that is through locker-style cabinets.

Locker-style mudroom cabinets give each person in the home a place to store items. Best of all, you can customize them for exactly what you need. For instance, we offer hanging areas for coats and backpacks, bins for shoes, and shelving. You can even opt for a bench along the bottom!

4. Custom Closet Organizer

Is there ever enough closet space? It can be so difficult not to have cluttered closets. And as amusing as we may find watching characters on TV open a closet door only to be buried in an avalanche of junk, we don’t want the same experience in our homes. With that in mind, one of the best ways to de-clutter your closet is with a custom closet organizer.

Plus, you can add custom options like drawer organizers, shoe racks, file bins, and custom-sized hanging areas. With so many possibilities, you’ll have your closet de-cluttered in no time.

5. Custom Entertainment Center

Let’s face it, the entertainment centers sold in big box stores just do not have enough storage for all your equipment. So if you’re sick of seeing a jumble of cords snaking out from your entertainment center and having piles of remotes, controllers, and accessories cluttering your living room, a custom entertainment center is the way to go.

We custom-build to fit your space, so you’ll add tons of storage while gaining a gorgeous entertainment center that fits seamlessly into your home. And with custom options like cable organization and storage, media organizers, custom shelving, adjustable TV mounts, and accessory storage, you’ll be able to beautifully organize all your equipment and create an area to display your favorite photos or pieces of art!

Need more help de-cluttering your home?  Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to find a solution that works for you.

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Moving Into a New House? 6 Ways to Make the Kitchen Feel Like Home

You’ve just moved into a beautiful new house, but something about the kitchen doesn’t feel quite right. It doesn’t feel like home. So what’s the problem? And more importantly, how can you fix it? Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as you may think.

Kitchens are particularly prone to feeling cold and sterile. That’s because so many kitchens have harsh lighting, tile floors, stainless steel appliances, and plain cabinets. Thankfully, there are a few easy things you can do to give your kitchen the warm, welcoming feeling you’re looking for. Here are six ways to make your new kitchen feel like home.

1. Add a Fruit Bowl

Something as simple as adding a fruit bowl to your kitchen can inject a much-needed dose of cheer to the room. The great thing about fruit bowls is they also give you a chance to display your personality. If you don’t already have one, you can select a fruit bowl that fits your style and fill it with your favorite fruits. Then, whenever you look into your kitchen, you’ll see a beautiful display of delicious fruit inviting you to sit, have a snack, and enjoy your space.

2. Start an Herb Garden

Plants add warmth and a homey feel to your kitchen. Why not brighten up your kitchen window with an herb garden? You’ll impart a happy feeling to the room and have fresh herbs when you cook. There are many herb garden kits on the market, so you can choose a style you love. Or take it a step further and build your own hanging herb garden. Opt for natural wood, or personalize your planter as much as you like by painting the pots and boxes.

3. Include a Rug

A well-placed kitchen rug adds softness and texture to the room. Choose a rug that fits in with your overall color scheme, or select bright patterns to add a pop of color instead. If you have a favorite rug from your last home, placing it in the kitchen brings a touch of familiarity to the room. And if you have tile, you’ll appreciate the literal warmth of the rug on cold mornings, too.

4. Fix Lighting Issues

Having the right lighting in your kitchen is everything. If your kitchen is too dark, brighten it up by installing lights under your cabinets. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it makes. On the other hand, if your kitchen has harsh, bright lighting, choose softer bulbs or consider replacing your light fixtures with a style that fits your personality.

5. Show Your Love

It’s often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. So doesn’t it make sense for your kitchen to reflect your love? Place items that make you feel good on display in your kitchen. This can be anything from the teapot you inherited from your grandmother, to your most-loved stock pot. Having a familiar item in sight helps your kitchen feel more like home. Alternatively, focus on items that show your personality, like favorite paintings, ceramics, or canisters. The more of yourself you put into your kitchen, the more it will feel like home.

6. Update Your Cabinets

Cabinets are a focal point in your kitchen, so making changes to them can give the room an entirely different appearance. Custom kitchen cabinets allow you to add style, warmth, and personalized functionality to your home. Brighten your kitchen or add an elegant touch with all-wood cabinets, or install a new kitchen island to create a cozy breakfast nook. Your kitchen will feel like home in no time.

Ready to update your cabinets? Edgewood Cabinetry has a plethora of design options, colors, features, and accessories so your cabinets can be truly personalized. And you’ll be able to customize as much or as little as you like, so whether you want to add a new china cabinet to display treasured knick knacks and fine china, or you want to replace all your kitchen cabinets and design every element, we can help. Contact us today to get started.

 

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Breathe New Life Into Your Kitchen with These 7 Simple DIY Tips

Changing the look of your kitchen is easier than you might think. If your kitchen is in need of a refresh, you don’t have to wait until you can do a full  remodel. Breathe new life into your kitchen with these seven simple DIY tips.

1. Add a Fresh Coat of Paint

Painting your kitchen is one of the easiest ways to give it a fresh look. Furthermore, it can be accomplished in a single weekend! Choose light colors to brighten your space. Or go for a two-tone look, with a dark color on the bottom and light on top.

2. Choose a New Backsplash

Adding a new backsplash will instantly refresh your kitchen. Bright colors and patterns will add a focal point and pop of color to an otherwise monotone kitchen. In contrast, if your kitchen already has a lot going on, choosing a more muted backsplash will lend a calmer vibe to the room. HGTV has some great ideas here.

3. Organize Your Counters

Clearing counter space will help your kitchen feel larger and more relaxing. Accordingly, you’ll want to store anything you’re not using out of sight. If you must store items on the counter, choose functional storage containers that are also decorative. Colorful canisters, decorative bottles for oil and vinegar, fun or sophisticated fruit bowls, and stylish bread boxes are all great choices to clear counter space while adding personality to your kitchen.

4. Bring the Outside In

Including plants or other natural elements in your kitchen is a wonderful way to increase the ambiance, to say nothing of the indoor air quality! There are plenty of plants that thrive in the kitchen, even if you’re not a master gardener. Good Housekeeping has an excellent list of hardy plants here.

Adding cut flowers is another excellent option. Alternatively, in the fall and winter, you can opt for decorative touches like dried corn, pumpkins, berries, and pinecones.

5. Put a Rug Down

Rugs have the ability to instantly transform the look of any room, and that includes your kitchen. If your kitchen has a neutral color scheme, a brightly-colored rug could be just the pick-up you need to lend a cheerful note to the room. Additionally, keeping a selection of rugs around allows you to refresh your room as often as you want simply by switching them up!

Remember that you should always choose rugs that have a rubber backing for use in the kitchen. Since most kitchens have smooth floors, a rubber backing is essential to prevent accidental slips and falls.

6. Change Your Window Treatments

Hanging new window treatments is one of the simplest ways to breathe new life into your kitchen. Sheer curtains add a light, flowy touch to your kitchen, while heavier fabrics like burlap can be perfect to offset dark colors, like navy. Or opt for blinds to add a clean look. Keep in mind that patterned window treatments may make small windows look even smaller, so save those for large windows instead.

7. Reconsider Your Lighting

Having the right lighting can make or break your kitchen. Consider adding a new light fixture to make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. Alternatively, just experimenting with different bulbs can give your kitchen a fresh new look. Keep in mind that counters look best with bright lighting, so something as simple as strips of stick-on lighting underneath your cabinets can really brighten up your room.

Breathing new life into your kitchen doesn’t have to break the bank or require an extensive time commitment. Try the above tips to quickly and easily refresh your kitchen.

While simple DIY projects can go a long way toward breathing new life into your kitchen, sometimes you need a professional touch. If you’re ready to remodel your kitchen with customized cabinets and kitchen solutions, check out just a few of the ways you can get the customized style and storage you need here.

Need help? Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to walk you through our options and design process.

Image: Pexels

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Remodeling for Resale-Maximize your ROI by Staying On-Trend

House flipping in today’s hot real estate market provides everyday investors with big returns. When remodeling for resale–maximize your ROI (return on investment) by staying on-trend without being too trendy. Most investors love to save money on materials while still staying on-trend with a modern design that impresses buyers. The kitchen is one of the most important areas of the home. Choosing custom kitchen cabinetry brings the ‘wow’ factor that impresses buyers. According to a recent article by CNBC, flipping a home is more competitive because of the high demand for starter homes and the low inventory in many housing markets. When you visit a local home improvement store to order materials, you might be forced to wait longer than you anticipated for your order to come in. By ordering from Edgewood Cabinetry, the process is easier and quicker, plus you save money. Also, you can find amazing all wood cabinets in beautiful styles and colors such as modern gray for a modern home or royal cherry for a traditional house.

Finding ways to save

In addition to ordering custom cabinetry, you can also save money on countertops, flooring, lighting and accessories. Talk to family and friends who would be willing to work out a barter system so you can get the help you need to fix up a property in less time.

Coordinating your design

Saving money on countertops and flooring is all about coordinating the colors and design patterns. Talk to kitchen design professionals about the latest trends in terms of materials, textures and patterns. Most homebuyers and renters want their home to reflect their modern tastes and sense of style.

Knowing your buyer

Another tip for making the most money off of your fix-and-flip is to know your buyer. Experts say your fix-and-flip will likely be bought by an investor who plans to rent out the home for a monthly profit. Buying inexpensive cabinets and countertops will help your profit margins and won’t deter an investor. As part of your kitchen renovation, make sure the appliances are in working order. Most investors appreciate new appliances that are reliable as well as a washer and dryer for tenants. In other cases, your potential buyer could be a young family looking for a starter home or a retiree.

At Edgewood Cabinetry, we are glad to show you ideas for your investment home. For more tips on remodeling the kitchen of your investment property, please contact us.

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Choosing Your New Stone Countertops: Marble vs. Granite vs. Quartz

You may know that you want stone countertops in your new kitchen but have you decided which stone is the right fit for your kitchen and your lifestyle?

We have some comparisons that may help you find the perfect stone for you.

Marble vs. Granite vs. Quartz:

1. Hardness

The Mohs Scale is used to measure the hardness of stone. Diamonds are rated at the top of the scale (10) because they can scratch all other stones but other stones can’t scratch them. Quartz is rated at a fairly hard 7 on the scale, granite (mainly because of its high quartz content) is rated at 6-7, and marble is rated at a soft 3. A piece of sand rubbed across a marble countertop will probably scratch it, as might a heavy glass.

2. Porousness

Because marble contains a good deal of calcite (similar to teeth), it’s highly porous and can be easily stained.
Granite comes in different degrees of porosity; the more porous varieties should usually be sealed yearly to prevent them from absorbing spilled liquids which might stain and could also promote the growth of bacteria.
Because quartz is made up of about 93% natural quartz aggregate bound together with colored polymer resins, it’s non-porous and impervious to stains.

3. Durability

Marble is soft enough to be easily scratched by a knife. It’s also susceptible to etching by acidic liquids such as wine or fruit juice. The veins and inclusions in marble are its weakest spots so, generally, the fewer there are, the stronger the marble.

Granite won’t usually be scratched by a knife but it might crack or chip if it’s hit hard enough. Both granite and quartz can withstand an occasional hot pot. Repeatedly setting hot pots on the same area might cause eventual damage to both surfaces, however.

Quartz is also tough enough to be cut on and is resistant to chips and cracks. However, if it does chip, it’s usually harder to repair than granite. It may also fade from exposure to UV rays so that may be a consideration where different areas of the same countertop receive varying amounts of direct sunlight.

Whatever stone you choose, it’s important to choose an edge that is resistant to chipping. Sharp edges are more likely to chip while rounded edges like bullnose and roundover are less likely to. They’re also usually less expensive.

Everyone has their own concept of beauty: are you looking for the timeless elegance of marble, the shimmery movement of granite, or the quiet uniform beauty of quartz? Whichever look you prefer, taking into consideration how that particular stone fits into your lifestyle and how willing you are to maintain it will ensure that you’ll love your new countertops for years to come.
Contact us when you’re ready for your new kitchen and we’ll help you choose cabinetry that will perfectly complement your new stone countertops.

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